


diamond's rosario

by mintwoozi



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: M/M, Sword Art Online AU, wonwoo / books tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-07 02:24:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11049342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintwoozi/pseuds/mintwoozi
Summary: choi seungcheol didn't ask to be a guild leader, especially not to some ragtag group of twelve players. but with their lives constantly on the line, and all hopes of returning to the real world being scarce, he does what he can.(sword art online au, where the boys fight back for reality, one step at a time.)





	1. chapter 1

It’s half past nine, and Choi Seungcheol is truly regretting his life choices -- especially his course schedule. 

There's a familiar sort of feeling in the way he drifts, eyes half-lidded and blinking deftly through sunlight, which filters into the lecture hall. It's just begging him to take a nap, honestly. and all around him, his fellow peers are dying at the same rate, heads tucked into arms and leaning on backpacks, soft snores all around. 

Glorious, glorious mathematics. honors too, which Seungcheol wasn’t supposed to be assigned to in the first place. but hey, stuff happened, and he may or may not have cheated his way into the class.

On the other hand, there’s Jisoo, who is the epitome of a literal right angle, sitting up straight and glasses polished all-too brightly. He oozes with an eagerness to learn, which seriously stinks of...what’s it called again? Oh yeah. Bigheadedness. 

“He’s going over last week’s material, Cheol. pay attention,” Jisoo straightens his glasses before penning down a couple more equations. “You'll fail if you don’t.”

A sleepy chuckle, bitter and mocking, rises from the pit of seungcheol’s throat. 

“Make me.” 

Jisoo scrutinizes him for a moment, eyes squinted in pure, unadulterated judgement. But he doesn’t pursue the idea further. He shrugs, mints a fresh set of numbers in his notebook, and turns towards the board. “Not worth the effort. You're on your own then, asshole.” 

Seungcheol manages to roll his eyes before sinking his chin straight onto the hardwood desk, muffling his groan into the crook of his elbow. 

He'd much rather be anywhere else. stuffing his face with dill pickles, maybe. Tattooing a tramp stamp on Seungkwan? sure, that too. But for the love of god (and Jisoo's christ), he can’t deal with being in class any earlier than 11am. 

The gentle pressure of his arm is oddly comforting as he lets himself drift off. but not for long.

His brief nap is broken by a soft ping which comes from his pocket. Actually, multiple pings. His phone’s going absolutely berserk to the point that jisoo glances up from his notes, eyes narrowed and that i’m gonna tell sort of scowl plastered onto his face. 

Seungcheol manages to mouth back a silent apology before he eyes his professor warily -- she’s already moved on to another victim. perfect. Fishing his phone out, he deftly taps in his passcode before he’s greeted by a string of badly spelled messages. 

Seungcheol allows himself thirty seconds to decipher what exactly the fuck he’s saying. 

**seokmin:** cheol cheol cheol ch Eol cheo Ls 

**seokmin:** CHEOOOELLL LELLE LEL ANS RE WF MY MESGA ESS

 **seokmin:** cheol choelc coehcocle 

**seungcheol:** what???

 **seokmin:** wdu mean what todays the event

 **seungcheol:** what event

 **seokmin:** ???????

 **seokmin:** wow has leader-nim already fukken forgotten

 **seungcheol:** wait 

**seungcheol:** o fuck 

**seokmin:** duh the opening event starts today!!

 **seungcheol:** dude i have finals soon tho

 **seokmin:** by ‘i have finals’ you mean

 **seokmin:** ‘sure thing seokmin!! i’ll meet u in the game lobby at 8pm sharp’ 

**seungcheol:** fuck off 

**seokmin:** love you  <3 see you then 

"Seungcheol, are you even listening?" as he whispers, a soft sort of frown creases Jisoo's features.

"Huh - what?"

He's just about done scribbling down a meticulous string of numbers — nothing to do with the utter mass of math, which his professor so happens to be messily reproducing on the board. He’s never really paid attention, anyways. 

"What's the answer to set three? Are you deaf?"

"Maybe. Will you just give me a second?"

Before he can even react, a slender arm darts past him, and just like that, Jisoo's torn the page right out of his notebook. It dangles helplessly between his fingers, and odds be damned, Seungcheol is two seconds away from wrestling it out of his hands. 

"Give it back! That's important, you know." 

A haughty sort of chuckle, and it's game over. Seungcheol knows this, especially from the way Jisoo slumps back in his seat, straightening the page out with a smirk.

"I'll be the judge of that. let's see what kind of math our little choi genius has in store for us..."

There's a brief pause as Jisoo's eyes sharply run across the lines, before his brows crease into a frown. Oh god.

He desperately tries to shrink into his seat as Jisoo glances up from the page. He knows what's coming. 

"Choi Seungcheol," he snaps, "we have finals in two weeks — and you're calculating how many experience points you're going to get from —" 

Taking the opportunity, Seungcheol deftly snatches the page back, waving it under Jisoo's nose. 

"- fighting the event boss on floor 13! you know it, Josh." 

He can't help the cocky smirk, either — he's taking the liberty of finishing jisoo's sentence for him, syllables all tastefully enunciated for his own personal entertainment. 

"I told you to call me Jisoo," he huffs. "Joshua's fine too. but Josh is off-limits, even for you."

Like a true church boy, Jisoo adjusts his cuffs, slender fingers nimbly pinching at the cloth. Seungcheol's used to this, Jisoo's strange sense of organization, subtly placed in his glances, his angled handwriting and carefully constructed coffee orders. That, and his undeniably lethal gaze. 

"But you're my best friend," Seungcheol pouts.

"I'm your only friend, Cheol," Jisoo corrects him airily, pencil smartly tucked above his upper lip. "and i'm starting to feel a little under-appreciated, considering my hard work."

"You're not wrong, but — "

"But what?" Jisoo counters. "Here i am, trying to get my best friend to get his head out of rpg’s, and actually graduate on time with me. But no, he pulls the dunce card." He finishes the sentence with an air of finality.

Every word hits home like salt to a wound, and Seungcheol can't help but cringe. It's not that he can help his casual - er - healthy addiction, really. 

"And now, Cheol, you’re going to bust up finals week in favor of fighting a — a silica boar?" 

He squints at the hideous handiwork on the page, all done in glaringly bright orange ink. 

Sheepishly, Seungcheol corrects him. "It's sithica. a super rare boss." He almost immediately regrets saying it.

And with that, Jisoo's fingers find the bridge of his nose all too quickly. 

"I told you, SAO can wait until after finals." 

"But the opening event starts today,” Seungcheol whines, dramatically clinging to Jisoo's arm. 

“No means no! I don’t care what Seokmin said, we’re going to study tonight.” 

Seungcheol pouts slightly, but nods anyways. It's not like he wants to fail any time soon, after all. He carefully eyes his phone screen and sees a couple more messages, all hearts and puppy emojis spammed by Seokmin. Gingerly, he flicks the notifications away, silently praying that Seokmin doesn't drop by to skin him if he gives him a no show at 8.


	2. Chapter 2

"You know, I had high hopes that we would get actual work done."

Seungcheol shrugs slightly as he scans the room -- Seokmin's comfortably nestled in a bean bag chair, while Jisoo's impatiently tapping his foot, perched upon a leather couch that needs some serious repairs.

As for Seungcheol himself? Well, he adjusts himself noisily on the old mattress he's sitting on.

8:30PM, he's in Seokmin's apartment, headset in hand, ready to finally explore the game he'd been anticipating for months now - but he can't quite start it up yet.

Because he happens to be marked for death by a certain Hong Jisoo.

"Choi Seungcheol." His head snaps up at the mere mention of his name, only to find himself staring dead into the eyes of a very, very miffed Jisoo.

"I can't believe you tried to sneak off from our study session to game with Seokmin," he snaps. 

Long story short, Seungcheol had tried to focus. But it'd been a long day, and Seokmin wouldn't stop texting about SAO's opening day, so naturally -- he had to take the opportunity. 

Feigning a quick bathroom break, Seungcheol had cleverly snuck out of the library -- and he'd nearly made it to Seokmin's place, if not for a murderous presence that had been following him the entire time.

It had taken a good amount of scolding, arguing, and thirteen different excuses for Jisoo to follow Seungcheol up to Seokmin's apartment. 

And now, they're here.

Seungcheol's just thankful that Seokmin had an extra NerveGear helmet for Jisoo. 

Sensing the tension in the room, Seokmin pipes up from his little bean bag seat, trying his classic sunny smile. "C'mon, lighten up, Jisoo! At least you get to play with us on opening day, right?"

Jisoo manages to glare Seokmin down to a point where his smile falters completely. There's something so very sharp about the way he takes his anger, angled features creased and cold and pale, lips pursed in a thin line. 

There's nothing more terrifying, Seungcheol thinks, as Jisoo takes brief a moment to remove his glasses, holding them delicately between his slender fingers, before bringing the hem of his shirt up to wipe away a stain. 

"I could be studying right now. I could be reviewing all the notes I've taken for months, which I even color coded," Jisoo mutters, murder trailing his very syllables. "And what do I get instead? Two idiots who are gonna get me expelled!" 

Seungcheol snorts, ignoring the cold sweat pooling at the nape of his neck. "I'm pretty sure an A minus isn't going to get you expelled." Seokmin follows shortly with a choked sort of laugh he's not very good at hiding.

"But my GPA! My perfect plan for my future! It's all jeopardized because you guys - " 

Patience running thin, Seungcheol leaps up from the bed, slapping a sweaty hand over Jisoo's mouth. A muffled series of yells and PG-13 expletives explode from beyond his palm. 

"Just shut up and play with us tonight, and we promise we'll make it up to you. Deal?" Seungcheol offers, all the while keeping his hand firmly clamped.

Jisoo manages one last piercing glare up at him before shrugging, and Seungcheol feels something which loosely resembles an "okay" resonate against his palm. So he lets go. 

The reaction is almost instant as Jisoo recoils, pulling up the corner of his pale blue sweater to wipe at the sheer amount of sweat near his mouth.

"You're disgusting," he mutters, daintily mopping up the last of the damage from his chin.

"It is an honor, your majesty," Seungcheol drawls, pushing off the couch in a deep bow before he slumps back onto the mattress.

Jisoo rolls his eyes as he pulls his sweater sleeve back - and Seungcheol can't help but chuckle at how slim and small Jisoo is, for someone so murderous and angry. It's all in the way soft blue material hangs loosely upon pale shoulders, dwarfing the angry boy. Clearly, the sleeves are a little too long for his arms, rendering him nothing more than some demented blue Christmas sock that had been knitted a couple yards too long. 

"So? What do I get in return?" Jisoo crosses his arms (and blue fuzzy sleeves) quickly, glancing between his two victims for an answer.

The silence which follows is nearly deafening, if not for Seokmin clearing his throat (in the most awkward way possible, at that).

"Uh - our undying love and affection?," Seokmin tries, before being shot down by another glare from Jisoo.

So Seungcheol tries his luck, offering up the most pleading, simpering smile he can possibly attempt on the face of this very earth. 

"How about two bottles of soju?"

"....Cheol." Jisoo's tone is dangerous now, soft and low and, well shit, he's in for it now.

Seungcheol shrinks a little on the mattress as he fiddles with his helmet. 

"Three then? And that pineapple pudding you like." 

There's a soft sort of silence as Jisoo sighs, defeatedly equipping his NerveGear as he mutters something about alcohol being a sin. His slim fingers wrap around the base of the helmet, securely locking in before he slumps back on the couch. 

"Let's just log in, I don't think I can take a second more of your idiocy." 

A chuckle from Seokmin is all it takes for Seungcheol to pull a smirk, locking his own NerveGear in. 

"Fine by me. Does that mean I win?" 

Seungcheol doesn't really get an answer.

"Link Start!", Jisoo's voice, soft but clear, cuts through before his body goes limp on the couch, lights flickering in the corner of the headset. 

Seokmin throws his head back in laughter, nearly flinging his NerveGear right off. "Man, he's gonna probably feed you to the wolves once we get in-game." 

"Not if I can help it," Seungcheol grumbles, fixing his own NerveGear. "See you in five."

"See you soon, Cheol." Seokmin flashes another one of his signature sunshine smiles before he secures his helmet, firmly stating the login phrase.

Seokmin's voice lingers a bit in the room, before his body falls limp identically to Jisoo's.

"Well, I guess that just leaves me." Seungcheol lets his hand explore the nape of his neck, where the curved edge of his helmet seems to end. It's cold and rumbles ever so slightly, a soft electronic hum just underneath the surface. He shivers at the brief sensation before securing the cord, and he leans back on the mattress, firmly repeating the familiar words.

"Link start!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as you can see, i'm fixing up the capital problem i had in the first chapter! feedback will be loved on & next chapter i promise it'll get to them actually being in-game...and u kno....DOOM


	3. Chapter 3

It only takes Seungcheol two and a half blinks for everything to come into focus. Just the barest brush of wind, and when he opens his eyes, a pale blue expanse of sky greets him, soft and open and slightly warped, like all VR worlds tend to look. Not that the technology can help it -- this is as advanced as anything will get. He experimentally lifts his hands, flexing his fingers, trying to touch up on the unfamiliar sensation. 

 

His hands are laced in fingerless gloves, worn leather and brown. A vest fitted against a blue shirt is what he sees when he glances down, along with a pair of brown pants (a tragic color choice, really), and boots. He wouldn't be caught dead in an outfit like this, but hey, he'll take what he can get. He's just in the middle of inspecting his pockets when a voice cuts through the silence.

 

"Hey, idiot. Are we gonna get going or not?" 

 

It's too simple of an question, and Seungcheol doesn't have a simple answer in return. He turns his head sharply towards the voice, albeit clumsily, to face a slim-framed boy, soft featured and somewhat familiar. 

 

Seungcheol squints at first. Then he tries his words, carefully, trying not to slip over the syllables. "Jisoo?" He'd recognize that voice anywhere, tinny, throaty words and all, tinged slightly with an accent.

 

"Who else would it be, dumbass?" Jisoo retorts. His voice is glazed over with annoyance, barely hovering above the key of a high C. 

 

"Why . . . do you look like that?" Seungcheol's usually not this cautious, but for some reason, Jisoo's voice coming from an unfamiliar face seems to trigger all sorts of acute stranger danger senses.

 

Jisoo pauses, probably considering all insults he could possibly stab into Seungcheol, before he takes great liberty in rolling his eyes. "All avatars are slightly randomized in this game, Cheol. You don't look like yourself either." 

 

He'd forgotten about the randomizer function. Seungcheol wishes he could see what he looks like in-game, but he doubts there's some mirror sitting out in an open field. He sighs out of relief. 

 

"Jeez, I should've read the game manual more closely." 

 

A soft chuckle rises from the pit of Jisoo's throat. "I keep forgetting that you know how to read." 

 

Seungcheol tries his best to throw a vicious glare, but he opts to lean back in the grass. 

 

"Alright, alright, I see your point," Seungcheol scowls as he quickly glances around the area they're in. 

 

Just grass. It's all green for miles around, shrubs and trees and god knows what else littering the hills beyond. Seungcheol squints again, trying to seek out the closest path they could possibly take to the main square. There's welcoming town nearby, he's sure of it - at least, that's what he'd gathered from the two pages he'd read of the manual. 

 

There's a delicate sort of aura as Jisoo sits himself down next to Seungcheol in the grass, tipping his head back towards the sky. 

 

"The sky's a little bluer than it is in Seoul, isn't it?" 

 

Seungcheol glances up along with him. The clouds are comically puffy, way too perfect to be real, all cotton-candy whiteness in cloud form. "Go figure. I doubt they'd make it any less blue, considering how rotten our air is." 

 

This incites a stifled laugh from Jisoo, and finally, Seungcheol's shoulders, tense with unfamiliarity, seem to relax. It's unmistakably the same, stuttered little laugh that Jisoo's known for - stopping in its tracks, light as air, but pleasant nevertheless. 

 

Seungcheol had missed this. He'd missed having Jisoo by his side for once without books splayed across his desk, and gel pens in seven different colors all collectively tucked behind his ears.

 

There had been a time when Jisoo was less stressed, less strung-out. But, as expected, the demanding life of a pre-med seamlessly led to Jisoo, who was once a fun person to hang out with, turning into a standard college student who lived off skin-deep compliments and Starbucks IV-drips.

 

And for a moment, everything is quiet. They sit in the silence, some raw form of peaceful truce settling between them as they watch a couple clueless players trip over themselves on the hill nearby. 

 

But silence is overrated, especially when you're friends with someone like Seokmin. 

 

Seokmin literally comes crashing in between them, avatar materializing out of nowhere in a blur of sparkly-ass particles. Jisoo screeches a little before pushing himself out of the way. But of course, Seungcheol isn't so lucky. 

 

Soon enough, he's lying facefirst on the grass with Seokmin pinning him down into the ground, and honestly, he's two seconds away from punching the living daylight out of him. 

 

"I'm here!" Seokmin chirps in his usual sing-song tone as he pushes himself off Seungcheol - he's so impossibly cheery that Seungcheol decides against punching him entirely.

 

"Yes, we noticed," Jisoo sighs, delicately dusting his arm off. And, as per usual, he straightens his sleeves carefully like he would at Sunday school.

 

"Wow, you guys look funny. Jisoo's nose looks like a baked potato." 

 

"It does not!" Jisoo's face instantly curls into that of horror, his hands coming up to feel around his own nose. "It's perfectly fine!"

 

Seokmin shrugs, donning one of his signature sunny smiles. His features, Seungcheol notes, are a far cry from what he looks like in real life -- his eyes are too angular, his face too round, and for some reason, the game has given him bright blonde hair. 

 

"So - we're all here, right? Should we get going?" Seokmin pulls up his user menu in one swift motion, tapping through the floating screens until he hits a map. "The beginner areas aren't far from here, so let's get a head start!" He accompanies this point with a stupidly huge grin, and Jisoo and Seungcheol stifle their laughter.

 

It's these kinds of moments that Seungcheol can't help but appreciate when it comes to Seokmin. His positivity, which oozes off him like honey from a hive, is probably the only thing keeping them sane lately.

 

"There should be a field with a bunch of standard monsters. We just slice them up, and boom! We'll be ahead of all those noobs!" 

 

Jisoo cringes before slapping Seokmin on the back of his head. "Noobs? Really?"

 

"It's a great word, you know."

 

A pout begins to form on Jisoo's face. Oh god, not this again. 

 

"It's not in Webster's, and therefore, it's not a word. Everyone knows that."

 

Seokmin and Seungcheol both glance at one another before collectively sniggering at the poor boy - he truly needs a break from his studies. 

 

"Is the lesson over now, professor?" Seungcheol smirks, as Seokmin pops up behind him and feigns a huge yawn. 

 

Jisoo's not amused. His pout gets even worse, his lower lip resembling more of a fat sausage than an actual mouth. 

 

"Fuck off, both of you! At least I'm not failing english 101!" With a dramatic little spin, Jisoo marches ahead without rhyme or reason, and Seungcheol has to desperately conceal the snort-inducing laughter that Jisoo's little skip-walk is causing. 

 

"Hey Jisoo, the meadow's in the other direction," Seokmin calls. Now Seungcheol's nearly dying from choking down his laughs, and by the time Jisoo angrily marches back to the two of them, it's a miracle that he hasn't suffocated.

 

"Can we get going already?" Jisoo's cheeks are glowing slightly, the pout still firmly fixed to his lips. 

 

"Okay then, princess. Your call." Seokmin laughs as he begins walking downhill, grass crunching under his footsteps.

 

Seungcheol follows suit, forcibly dragging a pouty Jisoo after him. 

 

"Stop pulling! I can walk, you know," Jisoo mumbles, snatching his wrist out of his grip. 

 

"You don't do it fast enough, that's the point. Now stop whining and hurry up," Seungcheol groans.

 

Jisoo's expression falls, but he quickens his pace anyways. "Seokmin's only walking fast cause he's taller than us." He scrutinizes the tall, lanky, and alarmingly blonde figure that's ahead of them both. 

 

"Correction, he's only taller than you." Seungcheol demonstrates his point by taking a large stride with his legs, sending considerable distance between him and Jisoo. 

 

"It's not my fault you guys are the size of titans. Might as well call me Eren Jaeger when I'm around you freaks," Jisoo mutters.

 

Seungcheol chuckles and once again, clamps his hand around Jisoo's wrist, pulling him along until Seokmin comes to a halt. 

 

"Shit, I forgot. I have to sign for a package at 5." He smacks himself on the forehead. "What time is it?"

 

Jisoo quickly brings up his screen, frowning slightly at the time. "It's 4:57." 

 

Seokmin's eyes widen comically before he breathes out a string of expletives. "Shit. Uh, give me a second. I'll just log out real quick and I'll be back in no time flat," Seokmin mumbles, all the while fumbling for his own user menu. 

 

"Jeez, Seokmin. What happened to getting ahead of all the noobs?" The mere mention of the word sends a well-timed glare from Jisoo burning into the nape of his neck - Seungcheol can't see him, but he sure as hell can feel the judgement.

 

But something's off. Seokmin frowns, his finger coming to rest at the base of the user menu. "Wait...hold on. Where is it?"

 

"Where's what?" Jisoo peers over Seokmin's shoulder, eyebrow quirked in curiosity. 

 

"The logout function. It's not here." 

 

Something odd, something foreboding, it settles dark and heavy and sharp in the pit of Seungcheol's chest. 

 

"This is why you need glasses," Jisoo starts impatiently, "it's right ther - "

 

Even Jisoo pauses. The menu, pale white and sleek, lacks the logout button entirely. It's simply blank. Seokmin pokes at it a couple times, but it only blinks yellow. 

 

A soft click as Seungcheol grinds his teeth in thought, a habit he'd meant to break. "So you can't log out?" 

 

Seokmin nods grimly. "It's not here. I sent a request to talk to the game master, but it says he's offline?"

 

Although Seungcheol's gut insists that something's seriously off, he opts to ignore the feeling. He forces a smile and pulls up his own menu.

 

"Maybe it's just an error for you. I'm sure it's here, there's no way they'd fuck up on opening day." 

 

But his menu comes up empty as well. He brings his fingers up to swipe several times, all frantic and choppy movements, until it's official: it's just gone.

 

A strange, multiheaded buzz fills his ears as he glances hopefully towards Jisoo, who only shakes his head.

 

"None of us have it, Cheol." 

 

The promise of safety and certainty slowly begins to shatter, the heavy feeling continuing to sink into his ribcage like a dark prayer. 

 

The three of them stand there, blankly staring at their user menus, before Seokmin defiantly closes his own.

 

"Min?," Jisoo asks, "what are - "

 

"We might as well walk to the nearest town," Seokmin declares. "We can meet up with other players and find out what's going on. Maybe, even by then, the game master will have fixed the bug, right?" 

 

Seungcheol considers this. Seokmin isn't wrong, exactly. Teaming up with a larger group would not only be smart, but comforting. Especially to Jisoo, who's starting to go deathly pale with anxiety.

 

"All right then. Let's head out." Seungcheol swipes his screen out of sight as Seokmin pulls up his map - until he notices something blue and bright materializing near his feet.

 

"Seokmin? Did you activate an item?" Seungcheol looks on cluelessly at the blue glow, which slowly starts to spread to the rest of Seokmin's body. 

 

"Huh? No, I didn't. Why?" Seokmin stops dead in his tracks, glancing back at Seungcheol. 

 

Jisoo blinks a little before pointing at Seokmin's lower half. "Your crotch is turning blue." 

 

"Haha, very funny. For your information, I haven't had blue balls since - " 

 

"Lee Seokmin! That's not the point!" Jisoo snaps, brows furrowed as he moves forward to assess the strange glow. 

 

There's anxiety evident on Jisoo's features, and Seungcheol trains his eyes on the blue glow. It seems familiar . . . He can't quite put his finger on it. 

 

Then it hits him. 

 

"He's being forcibly teleported!" He'd seen this in a trailer for the game, but no way in hell had he expected it to happen this soon.

 

"Forcibly?" Jisoo officially begins to panic, frantically grabbing at Seokmin's clothes, his vest, even his hair to try to keep him in place. "Why?" 

 

Seokmin's also flailing about, trying to "Shit, what's going on? How do I make it stop? Jesus chri - " 

 

Seungcheol only has to blink once before all that remains of Seokmin is his voice, echoing slightly in the air. 

 

"Where did he go?," Jisoo wails, eyes glassy and unfocused with tears, which roll helplessly down his cheeks. "What's going on?" 

 

"I don't know." Through gritted teeth, that's all that Seungcheol can manage, before a spark of blue light surrounds Jisoo as well.

 

"Huh?" A little yelp escapes from Jisoo before he's completely engulfed in the light. 

 

Normally, Seungcheol is composed. He's calm, lazy, and can be a pretty good mediator. 

 

But this is different. Adrenaline consumes him completely as he launches himself at Jisoo, trying to grab on to something, anything at all.

 

"Seungcheol!" Jisoo cries out, helplessly reaching for Seungcheol in the midst of the teleport.

 

Before he vanishes, Seungcheol catches a glimpse of utter panic in Jisoo's eyes before his own body begins to glow bright blue.

 

"Fuck!" Seungcheol brings up his arms to shield his eyes from the blinding light, panic tightly balling up in his chest.

 

The light sends his mind reeling, all bright and swelling and soaking into the corners of his vision, white hot. 

 

But the sensation hardly fazes him. All he can think about is Jisoo and Seokmin, where they could be, whether they're safe. The panic tightly pulls against his

 

The image burns into his mind. The logout button is missing. The game master won't answer any questions.

 

What is really going on?

 

He doesn't get much time to answer his own question as the soaring sensation, not all too unpleasant, ends as his feet hit solid ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow okay so things are actually moving forward and i am quite happy!! to understand most of the terminology, i'd recommend watching SAO itself!!


	4. Chapter 4

He hears something. Something faint, cutting dimly through the silence, before Seungcheol sees the landscape materializing before him. Brick by brick, a center comes into view, some sort of combination of a town square and a fountain.

 

"What the..." Seungcheol glances around dimly as the last remnants of blue light dissipate from his figure, leaving him stranded in this strange little square.

 

At least, he's not alone. Hundreds - no, maybe thousands of other players crowd near him, all frantically speaking to one another, words too quick, almost rapid fire. It's panic. It can be scented out in the air, the way it's warped and uneasy, and Seungcheol starts to see red at the corners of his vision, a sign of an impending headache. 

 

But it's broken quickly, when he feels a prod from behind. It's Seokmin, unceremoniously spinning Seungcheol around to give him a hug out of nowhere - Seungcheol nearly chokes, the guy has the strength of a horse.

 

"Seungcheol! There you are," Seokmin laughs. "I thought the game left you behind!" 

 

A poorly timed smile barely masks obvious worry curled here and there on his features, from the odd quirk of his lip, to fine lines of worry creasing between his brows. 

 

"Well, I made it. Where are we?" Seungcheol pulls out of Seokmin's embrace a little too late, his chest is already aching from the sheer pressure of Seokmin's weighty affections. 

 

"No clue. The map's been shut down, nothing's really working," Seokmin shrugs, jerking a thumb behind him at the other players. "And it seems like pretty much everyone's been teleported here too." 

 

A series of blue flashes emit everywhere in the square as new arrivals teleport in - it's continually jarring, to see so many people huddled together. 

 

"Any idea why?" 

 

"I'd tell you if I knew." 

 

"Cheol! Seokmin!" Jisoo comes frantically running into sight, stumbling slightly as he shoves through the crowd towards them.

 

"Thank god, I thought you guys disappeared!," Jisoo wheezes, and he comes to a screeching halt in front of Seungcheol - he's trembling, cheeks dusted in pale red gradation, which only serves to emphasize the fact that he's on the verge of tears. 

 

But in a split second, Jisoo turns to Seokmin, utmost bitterness etched into his features as he raises his foot - and stomps hard on Seokmin's shoes.

 

"Don't - ever fucking do that - again!" Jisoo snaps through gritted teeth, stomping his poor little boot to bits with every beat between his words.

 

"Easy, easy!" Seokmin's hands fly up defensively as he backs away. "What did I even do?" 

 

"You vanished! You turned BLUE!" The last syllable cracks in Jisoo's throat without a hint of sophistication, crossing somewhere between hysterics and reclaimed puberty.

 

And just like that, the tension completely shatters. 

 

The laughter is instant, immediate as Seokmin barely manages to grip onto Seungcheol's shoulder to support himself as he doubles over.

 

Seungcheol, on the other hand, can omly manage a small smile, one that barely ghosts his lips before he draws them in tightly, worry plaguing and settling deep in his chest. 

 

"What matters is we're all together," Seungcheol reassures Jisoo, placing a careful hand on his shoulder. Jisoo nods jerkily, blinking back tears as he glances back at the crowd (not before sparing Seokmin another glare).

 

"Why do you think they brought us here?," Jisoo mumbles, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. 

 

"I don't know, Jisoo. I really don't know." Seungcheol tries not to sound worried, but it leaks into his tone anyways, his voice dropping and starting in odd places, like an instrument out of tune.

 

The murmur of the crowd only grows worse, more impending as players continue teleporting in. There's the occasional laugh, the occasional joke and insistence that it's all an elaborate opening day event. 

 

But something tells him otherwise, something dark and thick which pools at the base of Seungcheol's throat and threatens to leave him choking. 

 

They can't log out.

 

The sheer idea of being trapped, it sends unpleasant sensations across every bone in his body, a vise-like grip of anxiety tensing every muscle. 

 

A firm hand on his shoulder prompts Seungcheol to snap out of his trance, his body jerking involuntarily at the touch. He turns his head only slightly before Seokmin leans near the crook of Seungcheol's neck, voice lowered.

 

"Stop spacing out, Cheol. You're scaring Jisoo," Seokmin whispers, eyes knowing and intent and lacking of any smile whatsoever. "If you're gonna act normal, try harder, or else Jisoo's gonna start the waterworks." 

 

There's really no fooling Seokmin, Seungcheol realizes, as he nods subtly.

 

This is what keeps him sane. It's Seokmin's hyperawareness of emotions, hidden behind a smile bright enough to blind the actual sun.

 

Seokmin scrutinizes Seungcheol's expression one last time, before he lets go of Seungcheol's shoulder, spinning around exuberantly to face Jisoo. It's alarming how quickly he's broken out into a smile as if it had never left his features, laughter lines soft on his skin.

 

"I wouldn't worry too much. The game admins aren't idiots, you know," Seokmin grins, tipping his head back towards the sky. "All we do is wait it out." 

 

As if on cue, the bright blue sky begins to fade, and Seungcheol glances up as well, shock registering in his shoulders as they tense closely. Blues turn to reds, a scarlet sky which echoes flame, and Seungcheol feels subtle pressure on his arm as Jisoo grips it, who's whimpering softly under his breath. Then the sky begins to fall. Not fall, necessarily, but the sky cracks into electronic panels, each of which are marked with clear cut font, 'System Warning.' The letters flash for a moment, before the panels come apart slightly. Red liquid, bright and thick as blood, oozes from between the panels, sizzling and sending off a horrible sort of smell, all burnt cloves and ashes. Jisoo makes a noise resembling a high pitched squeak before digging his nails into Seungcheol's arm.

 

The ooze collects into a mass, cerise and horrifyingly red, before it becomes the folds of a cloak - a faceless hooded figure.

 

Gasps echo amongst the players, Jisoo's included, as he grips onto Seungcheol's arm, his fingers trembling and slipping past the fabric. 

 

Seungcheol wishes he could be more comforting, but his arms seem frozen - rooted to his sides. It's foreboding, the sheer presence of the figure, and he can't seem to regain control over his own limbs.

 

"My name is Akihiko Kayaba," the figure booms, voice amplified a thousand times over. 

 

The murmur from the crowd ripples like a wave. 

 

"I am the creator of this game, and this world, Sword Art Online. I am currently the only one capable of controlling this world. "

 

There's a sarcastic murmur of insults and annoyed little gesticulations before the crowd settles once more. 

 

"I'm sure you've already noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu," he continues, bringing up his own massive version of a user menu with a swipe of his palm. His hands are gloved, Seungcheol notes, this massive, gargantuan creator, who only serves to worsen the darkening pit of his chest. What's his intentions? 

 

A pause, as Kayaba brings his finger over the missing logout function. "But this is not an error in the game. It is a key feature of Sword Art Online." 

 

Jisoo lets out a muted gasp, eyes widening in horror, as Seokmin defensively backs away, his gaze no longer playful or relaxed - his pupils are dark, blown with hostility. 

 

"The NerveGear helmet cannot be forcibly removed by anyone in the outside world. In the case this happens, the transmitter will emit powerful microwaves, destroying your brain, and thus, ending your life." 

 

End your life? 

 

"That's bullshit," Seokmin snaps, glancing back at Seungcheol. "The NerveGear wouldn't have been allowed if it was that dangerous - right?" 

 

Seungcheol wishes he could nod back, but his neck seems locked into place. He manages a strangled sort of sound in reply, until Jisoo shakes his head, shoulders tensed and all too close together. 

 

"I looked into the specs a w-week ago," Jisoo stammers, words numbed slightly, "It's a powerful transmitter helmet, if the safety function was turned off, the waves can easily kill us all."

 

No sooner than Jisoo finishes his sentence, Seungcheol finds himself stumbling back, palm brought to his forehead. "Cheol," Jisoo starts, concern staining every part of his voice. "But that's what I'm only assuming, it's not for sure - " 

 

"We might as well accept it as the truth," Seokmin cuts in. "We're trapped here - there's no other explanation." 

 

"But maybe - " 

 

Jisoo's voice is drowned out by Kayaba's own booming presence.

"Before we get into the details - I've left a gift in each of your inventories. Use it well." 

 

A gift? Seungcheol tries to ignore the same, sinking feeling curling between his lungs as he cocks his head to the side - he opts to swipe his inventory open.

 

_Mirror._

 

It's written clearly in grey font, sitting in his inventory window, which otherwise lies empty. He struggles for a moment, nervously circling his finger over the item before he carefully presses it. As promised, a mirror materializes in the air before him in a burst of particles.

 

It's a pale, ivory-laden little token, nothing special, the glassy surface catching rays of light here and there, scattering patches of glow across his arms. His fingers wrap around it, small tremors running through his palm as he looks into the mirror. 

 

He can finally see his in-game avatar. It's definitely nothing like what he looks in real life - he cringes at the reflection, honestly, how rough and rounded his features are, before he's blinded by a flash of light.

 

He hears Jisoo let out a cry of protest ; in fact, the entire town square is engulfed in pristine light, panic echoing across the square. 

 

"Cheol!" He hears Seokmin's voice break off amongst the chaos, his tone recognizably bare and steady, compared to the screams from the crowd. 

 

"Seokmin?" Seungcheol blindly flails through the light, which dissipates all too quickly. "Seokmin!" He finally stumbles forward and crashes into a figure, who steadies him with a firm grip. 

 

"Jesus, what the hell was that?" 

 

Seungcheol shakes his head before glancing up. "I really couldn't tell y - " 

 

He freezes. Seokmin's blonde hair is gone, just the dark and choppily cut sweep he's so used to seeing in class. In fact, the angular features, the rounded eyes, they're all gone - it's just Seokmin, just as he looks like in real life, and he can't help but back away in surprise. 

 

He's not alone, however, as Seokmin reacts just the same way the moment their gazes meet. There's a brief spell of confusion, before Seokmin slowly begins to speak, his syllables dragged and slow, like in honey.

 

"Whoa. Cheol - you look . . . normal!" 

 

Seungcheol opens his mouth to reply, before Jisoo, once again, comes wailing into sight, his features no longer resembling a stranger's. His in-game avatar has vanished, leaving a sharp-eyed, delicate sort of boy standing before them - the same Jisoo they knew and loved to poke fun at.

 

"Did you see that? We all changed, we all look like ourselves again," Jisoo manages to squeak, staring into his own mirror. "But why?" 

 

Seungcheol shrugs before glancing at his own reflection - it's him alright, but like Jisoo said. Helets a breath of relief slip past his lips, before he manages a small smile.

 

"Beats me. Though, I'm a little disappointed." 

 

Seokmin frowns. "How so?" 

 

"Your blonde hair was starting to grow on me," Seungcheol smirks, sending a cheeky wink in Seokmin's direction. 

 

The reaction is instant, if not uncalled for. Scowling, Seokmin throws a punch at Seungcheol's shoulder, which he adeptly avoids as he chuckles. 

"Fuck off." 

 

"Love you too," Seungcheol drawls.

 

But it doesn't take long for the three of them to glance back at the large figure before them, who seems to be contemplating his next move - meticulously bringing up a series of screens that float around. Seungcheol squints and recognizes a few logos - BBC News, KBS, NHK, all major news corporations with blaring headlines. There are faces, names, crying family members, bereaved of their loved ones. 

 

"As you can see, several family members and friends have attempted to forcibly remove your NerveGear helmets from the outside world. As a result, 213 players are no longer here with us today. They have permanently exited Aincrad . . . and the real world."

 

His words are met with soft gasps, as the unease begins to pool into the crowd, a heavy atmosphere which threatens to suffocate all who stand within it. The headlines are dark, bolded in the floating screens: 'Gaming disaster takes fifteen more victims...', 'SAO traps players in unconscious state'...

 

"Several news outlets are reporting on this situation, including the multiple deaths." The screens float around Kayaba for a few seconds more, before vanishing with a sweep of his enormous palm.

 

"That can't be possible," Seokmin mutters. 

 

"The only condition of escaping the game is to clear it. You are all currently on the first floor of Aincrad. There are 100 floors in total, where a boss awaits you on the final floor. Complete the boss battle, and the game will clear."

 

100 floors, even Seungcheol knows that. The game's glossy brochure, ever radiant and colorful, had boasted of its endless playability, thanks to its countless floors of different worlds. Each floor is a world of its own, climates varying and sizes beyond enormous ; it would take months - no, perhaps years, to clear them all. 

 

"However, I may note, the revive function no longer exists in SAO. You die, your HP falls to zero, and your avatar will vanish from the game," Kayaba remarks. "And you will die in the real world as well." 

 

Kayaba dismissively waves his hand, a gesture which reminds Seungcheol of something odd, something so flippant. 

 

You die here, you die in real life. 

 

And that's how it is. 

 

Seungcheol tries to breathe, but fear hangs around his neck like a chain, he's hyperventilating, barely breathing, his fingers groping at his own side for a sense of weight, an anchor to cease his panic - but nothing works. 

 

They're trapped. In a world where you die in-game, you vanish from the world entirely. 

 

"No . . . that can't be true," Jisoo whimpers, voice hushed and horrified. "Please . . . God, no, that can't be true!" 

 

He tries to reassure Jisoo, say anything at all, but the words become but a mouthful of ash and dark tar, and he can only watch as Jisoo's head is thrown forward, the cant of his head, the curve of his neck no different from a dying boy's. 

 

Seokmin's head hangs in defeat, his face hidden from view. He shakes visibly in anger, and Seungcheol only begins to reach out to grip his shoulder, to ground him, out of fear that Seokmin may disappear - he seems so small, so weak compared to the sunny, confident person he's grown to know since they were kids - but Kayaba, once again, cuts him off.

 

"And with that, all is done. I wish all of you luck in your endeavors here in Aincrad." 

 

A crackling sound fills the air, and Kayaba's body begins to pixellate completely, dark and red and fading from view, vanishing from existence entirely. The panels disappear as well, the sky's digital patterns fading away, 'System Announcement' blinking out of view.

And the scarlet sky, as if whispering, turns a dimly lit blue, hints of purple bleeding into the edges as the sun begins to set.

 

Silence. Only silence, as the players stare ahead at where Kayaba had been, eyes fixed upon the very spot.

 

And then it begins.

 

"Youre fucking with us!" Someone shouts, and all hell breaks loose with a single sound. 

 

Screams echo from all directions, filling the space with colorless panic - a mass exodus of scrambling players, in tears or in anger, pushing each other aside in panic. It's terrifying, almost animalistic, and every single one of Seungcheol's senses are wrung completely raw.

 

Jisoo collapses in an instant to his knees beside him, eyes wide and glassy and he's crying, dear god, and Seungcheol can't seem to feel anything at all.

 

He barely notices Seokmin kneeling next to Jisoo, fingers curled on the boy's shoulders, shaking him frantically.

 

"Jisoo. Hong Jisoo. Calm down, it's going to be okay..." 

 

Tones of his voice, they sink beneath the surface and become murky, waterlogged beats and notes which no longer seem to make sense at all.

 

Seungcheol's vision starts to blur at the edges. Smoldered, scarlet edges as his blood boils and pounds in his ears, he's shoved aside by screaming players as they scatter throughout the square, he stumbles aimlessly forward.

 

It can't be real.

 

"Seungcheol," Seokmin barks out curtly, slinging Jisoo's arm over his shoulder, "We're leaving. Now." 

 

The last word grates through the air, leaving a crackle of uncertainty - something, something faint and blue and pale with fear flickers in Seokmin's eyes, before it vanishes altogether. Seungcheol blinks twice before nodding.

 

"Good. We're going that way." 

 

He jerks his head towards one of the exits before taking off in a run - leaving Seungcheol a little lost, a little dazed before he follows suit, trying not to lose sight of Seokmin, who knifes through the crowd ahead at an alarming rate.

 

Jisoo barely manages to stumble alongside Seokmin, his body limp and bent against the crook of Seokmin's neck. It's frightening, like a puppet without strings, and Seungcheol swallows hard as he chases after them, Kayaba's words ringing in his ears. 

 

_Clear the game, and you can escape._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've been so incredibly busy, i apologize for the sporadic updates!! i adore the feedback i've been receiving on this fic so far <3 now that the nitty gritty of the intro has been done, i'll be doing a double update later today.


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